Office



W. E. SHIVELY AND K. B. KILBORN.

AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.6.1918.

l 3 l 7, 66 8 Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

The/IP.. einem.

I/V. E. SHIVELY AND K. B. KILBORN.

AUTOMATIC VALVE CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6.1918.

Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gnomo/L @bij/@Her E /Vive/ey y Kar/ ,B- /f//born WALTER E. SHIVELY AND KARL B. KILBORN, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIG-NORS T THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A GORPORATIONv 0F oHIo.

AUTOMATIC VALVE-CONTROLLER.

` Application filed March 6, 1918. Serial No. 220,741

To allwlhom t may concern:

Be 1t known that we, WALTER E. SHIVELY and KARL B. KILBORN, citizens of the United States, residing atAkron, in the county Vof Summit and State of Ohio', have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Valve-Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic control device which is designed to prevent the premature openin of a valve or control element where a num` er of valves or control elements are used.

In connection with the art of rubber goods vulcanization, it will be understood that hydraulic presses are in almost universal use. Each of these presses includes a fixed head or a movable ram carrying a platen on which is placed a number of molds to be' compressed against the fixed head b hydraulicpower acting upon the ram. team is a much used agent for imparting the heats of vulcanization to the rubber goods contained in the compressed mold,.while movement of the ram plunger is controlled by different water pressures.

The ordinary course of operation includes the loading upon the ram platen a number of molds by the operator, the ram being then raised by low pressure water acting in the ram pot, until the pile of molds is in contact with the xed head of the press. At this time a relatively high pressure is caused to act upon the ram plunger in order to so compress the several molds against the press head that each pair of mold parts will be properly mated. At the same time that the compression of the molds is undertaken, steam is admitted to the press in order that the high temperatura-required for vulcanization, may be secured.

In unloading a press, the operator must turn oil' the valve controlling the admittance of the high pressure water into the ram pot, and must also turn olf the steam valve. The relatively low water pressure is then employed to raise or lower the molds, as the case may be, to the unloading point. It will thus be seen that the operator has, therefore,

three valve movements to make since the high pressure hydraulic'line and the steam valve should both be cut oft when the valve of the low pressure line is opened, and vice Versa.

turning on the steam valve before the high pressure line has been opened, we have proposed the device herein comprehended, w'hereby the closed or locked position until the correct conrol elements or valves have been operate As a principal obj ect, we contemplate the provision of a valve-controlling device including a double acting piston which is'controlled by the water pressures existing in the hydraulic press ltself, such device being connected with a steam valve in such manner as to open this valve when the higher hydraulic pressure is used in the press and to close this valve when the lower hydraulic pressure or no pressure at all is used therein. v

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide an automatic valve control device which includes a double acting iston, movement of which in one direction 1s controlled by the higher water pressures of the hydraulic press, while movement in thel o posite direction is similarly controlled by the lower water pressures of the press, such piston being directly connected to the vulcanizing rsteam valve in order to open or close this valve in accordance with the water pressure operating upon the piston.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an automatic valve control device which includes an unbalanced piston carrying' an axial valve control stem, such pistonA being operable upon by water pressures of different degrees for movement in its respectively opposite directions, and such piston also offering, to the flow of the hydraulic pressures, surfaces proportionate to the respetive degrees of theselpressures.

The above and additional objects of a similar nature, which will be hereinafterl more specifically treated, may be accompl lished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following speciication and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are :appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference-to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numbers designate' corresponding parts:

valve may be retained in a Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view I of the valve control device comprehended herein, illustrating also one form of valve in connection with whichl the device may be used; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the control device as connected to another form of valve element to be automatically controlled;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the control -device and showing its connection to a conventional vulcanizing apparatus; and

lFig. 4 is a detailed sectional view of a modiiied form of one end of our valve.

Although we propose to describe our present invention in such manner as will set forth its peculiar fitness and adaptability for use in connection with :the valve elements of a'i hydraulic press, we wish it to be underthat the device herein disclosed is not necessarily restricted to this particular use,

but is capable of being advantageously employed in any field in which an Vautomatic operation'of a valve device, or similar controllable element, is desired, in connection with other devices or.l elements uponv the dperation of which latter the first device is, in some degree, dependent.

S A double actingunbalanced piston 5 fornis the basic element of the control device, suchv piston being fitted with an axially alined stem 6, the free extremity of which lmay be irectly connected lin some such desirable manner as at 7 to the operating arm or arms 8 of the valve .device 9 in the pipe 29 conductingI the uid to-be controlled. In the embodiment shown the' ipe 29 conducts steam to the heating chamber B of the press A, shown in Fig.

:i The p-iston 5 is reciprocably mounted, together with its stem 6,'in a three part casing made up ot' a central )section 10 and .two

l'end sections 1l and 12, these latter being connected. to the central section through the v medium 'of a pair of'diametrically situated .straps 13. 'The piston '5 is slidably mounted within abore 14 which extends through the end section 12 and partially through the ceni tral section 10 of the casing, while the stem 6 of the piston is similarly mountedto pro- `ject through'he end section `11 and into the central section 10. `The bore 15 for the piston stem 6 lis ynarrower than the bore 14 for the piston itself, as the latter is preferably of larger diametery than the operating stem to Ibel carried thereby. Suitable packing material 16 is placed about the exterior of both piston and stem, in each of the housin .sections in which such elements are opera le. Packing sleefves -17 axially enter each of. the housing sections and maintain the packing 16 in its proper place; the strap connections 13 between the central sectionl 10 and the two end sections of the housing permitting free access for the-placement or removal of these packing sleeves.

nected back to the main source of supply ,'25 whereby the relatively low water pressure is conducted to the ram pot 330i the hydraulic press A and is connected ahead of the press control valve so that the pressure is actingon the as clearly shown in Fig. 3. f

We wish it understood that although we have illustrated and described a low il id vpressure operating against the end of piston 5 at all times, an expansion spring 31 (see Fig. 4) of the required strength can be supplemented and obtain the required results as will be a parent.

Leading lnto the bore 14, as thelatter is lconducted into the central section, is a duct 21, extending radially from the bore and providing a communicationbetween thelatter and the higher hydraulic pressure pipe 22, the latter having itsextremlty 23 threaded into the central section 10 at the muth of the duct 21. .It will. loe observed that, since the operating stem 6 of the piston is of smaller diameter than the pistonitself, a small chamber 24 will be formed` at the inner end-face of the piston, permittingl the ressure fluid entering into this end of the ore 141to= act against a partial end area of the piston 5 at all times piston 5. The pipe 22 is, of course, con-.

vnected to the ram pot -of the hydraulic press' A andi is always under the same pres- .sure as the ram, as will be more clearly brought out.

It will be observed that the lower pressure water entering the p-iston bore 14 through' the pipe 20 has the entire end face ofthe piston 5 to act against, while the considerably higher pressure water entering intothe oposite-end ofthe p-iston bore 14 through vthe pipe 22 has a smaller end surface `ofthe pistcn .against which to act. These two terminal piston areas are proportionate to the strength of the respective water presures .entering at opposite ends of the bore 14-and the resultant forces in each end of the piston chamber or bore are thus capable of operating @the piston -in the required direction and overcoming the existing opposite pressure` when broughtinto play at the proper.

time, as will be more clearly understood.'

-vulcanizing chamber B, in which a ram 32 extending into a ram pot 3 3 to which fluid (usually Water) under pressure is conducted from the high pressure supply 27 and from the low pressure supply by any suitable connection:l The ram 32 is provided at'its up' per end with a ram platen 34 Which supports the molds containing the articles to becured, as Will be readily understood by Vthose fa# miliar with the art. From Fig. 3 it vif-ill be observed that the low pressure pipe 20 is connected to the main supplyvpipe 25 anterior to the valve 26 which controls the lovv.pres sure fluid-to the ram pot 33.- The piston 5 is therefore under uniform p-ressflreat all times. The pipe 22 is connected to the supply line 27 posterior to the valve 28 controlling the admission of the high pressure fluid, so that the chamber 24 is under the high pressure of said high pressure',v fluid only When the higher hydraulic pressure is in the ram pot 33. The steam valve 9', connected to the piston 5, is interposed in the main steam supply line 29 anterior to the operators `valve 30, so that steam vcannot be admitted by the valve 30, until the higher hydraulic- -pressure is admitted to the -ram l pot 33, which higher pressure open valve 9. 1

The operation of our device is as follows: Assuming that the press has been unloaded oi;l cleaned and 4relilled and that the piston 5 and 'valve 9 are heldin their idle or'closed l position by the lower Water. pressure, theloperator may close the press by opening valve 26 thereby causing' the ram 32 to raise the platen 34 to a closed psition v and the valve 26 is then closed. Nextgzvalve 28 is opened subjecting the ram to, ;t he required high pressure and atthe same time opening valve 9 opening the steam to valve 30. Thel iperator canthen operate valve 30` and permit the vulcanization to proceed.

From theforegoing i-t will be readily seen that the operator can close the pre's's with the lowerz pressure Water but that he cannot then turn-bn the steam unless he first subjects the molds to the required pressure by means of.l the higher hydraulic pressure. Thus the present invention positively' guards against the curing of rubber goods' under.

a low pressure which would result in a defective product. f

What we claim is: a l. The combination with a hydraulic press having a".press element; a valve controlling the application of hydraulic pressure Land thereby centrolling movement and position of the element, and a steam valve tpbe controlled in conjunction with the movement of said press element, of a controller valve including` a: piston automatically operable in accordance @with the movements of said hydraulic press element, and means carried by said piston forvautomatically controlliig the movement. of said steam valve in accor ance withthe movement of said plston.- v

having a press element movable in tvvo directions, a steam valve arrangement in conjunction With said press element, means of a hydraulic nature for moving said press element, a control valve including a piston movable in accordance with said press element and simultaneously therewith by the same hydraulic means and valve operating means carried by said piston and movable in accordance with the automatic control of said steam valve in correspondence vto the ovements of said press element.

3. The combination with a hydraulic press including a press element movable in two directions by hydraulic means, respectively operable upon said press element for movementthereof in the corresponding direction; a j contrbl valve including a double acting piston similarly perable upon by hydraulic means regulating movement of said press element, a steam valve to be controlled in accordance with the movement of Asaid press element and means carried in axial extension of said piston to control said steam valve in accordance with the movement of said press element.

4. In an apparatus of -he character described, a pipe for conducting a heating fluid to said apparatus, means for controlling the flow of said heating fluld, a source of fluid under pressure for. operating said apparatus, said means being operated by v fluld.

the pressure of said pressure character dej 5. Inv an apparatus of the scribed, means for supplying a heating Huid to said apparatus, a pressure lluidj supply for operating said apparatus, means for controlling said heating fluid, means for controlling said pressure fluid, and means preventing the operation of said heating iuid controlling means, without first operating said pressure fluid controlling means.

6. In an apparatus of the character de-v to said apparatus, a valve controlling the supply of said heating Huid, a high pressure fluid supply to said apparatus, a low pres-v sure Huid supply to said apparatus, andv means connected to said valve and exposed at will to said high and low pressure uids respectively, whereby said valve is opened by pressure of said high pressure fluid and closed by pressure of said low pressure fluid.

8. In an lapparatus of the character described, -a heating chamber, a heating fluid supply pipe leading to said lchambenaI valve of said in said pipe controlling the supply to sald heating fluid, a casing connecte pipe, a pressure iuid, supply pipe leading pipe, a high pressure fluid supply pipe leading to sald apparatus andcommunicating with said casing, a low pressure Huid supply pipe also leading to said apparatus and communicating with said casing, and means within said casing and connected to said valve, said means having portions thereof exposed respectively to said high and said low pressure fluids whereby the operation of said valve is dependent on the relative pressures of said fluids.

10. In a vulcanizing apparatus, a heating and vulcanizing chamber, a steam connecconnection -to said apparatus, a valve in said steam connection, a piston connected to said .operably dependent upon the hydraulic medium in the press.

` witnesses. tion to said chamber, a hydraulic medium v y l1. In vulcanizing apparatus, a steam heated hydraulic vulcanizing press, and means for admitting steam into the press 12. Invulcanizing apparatus, a hydraulic vulcanizlng press having a steam connection and a separate connection for a hydraulic medium, and a valve in said steam connec- 4" tion having an operating member dependent for action upon said hydraulic medium.

13. A hydraulic 'vulcanizing press having a steam chamber provided with a ram, a

steam supply pipe connected with said 4? chamber having a mainvalve and 'a supplemental valve to control the admission of steam to said chamber, a pipe connection for said ram, means -to controlthe passage of a hydraulic mediumthrough said connection, 5G

a spring to close said supplemental valve,l and piston means to open said supplemental valve deriving its operating power from the hydraulic medium.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names in the presence of two subscribing WALTER E. SHIVELY, KARL'B. KILBORN. Witnesses:

BURGEss DABROW, ELMER F. BRUNNER.

pressure of a 3 

